The lava lamp debuted in 1963. It was invented by Edward Craven-Walker in Britain through his company Crestworth. The lava lamp was originally called “Astro Lamp” inspired by an egg timer that Craven-Walker saw in a British pub.

While I wasn’t around for the birth of the lava lamp, in the late 80s and early 90s there were still enough of them around to capture my fascination.

Lava lamps never offered that much entertainment; you could spend maybe 10 to 15 minutes just watching the goo interact in the mysterious fluid after being heated by a lightbulb. But there were always other things to do: A bike to ride, a hose to drink out of, friends to go into the woods with, a snow fort to build, parents to ignore you, MTV to watch.

Since its inception, the lava lamp has been a popular device to mimic. From reinventing it as-is, to adopting new technologies like LEDs or using different types of materials for different effects. You can even easily find numerous recipes online to create a DIY lava lamp.

While not its main function, Govee’s Table Lamp 2 Pro doubles as a decent lava lamp.

In fact, one of its pre-defined “scenes” is a lava lamp with lights flowing much like these devices from 60 years ago.

Opening it up

Govee recently sent me its Table Lamp Pro 2 to check out. The lamp comes self-contained with a removable wall charger. So, if you hate putting things together you will be happy with the ease of use. Just connect the wall outlet to the device and it’s ready to go.

Plugging it in

The Govee Table Lamp Pro 2 features a variety of buttons at its top and pressing the power button begins the light show.

There are a handful of scenes that come with the lamp — flames, birds, waves, calming and, of course, lava lamp. Interestingly, all of these scenes come with sound if you desire it.

Play music, set scenes

One of the biggest draws of the Govee Table Lamp Pro 2 is the Sound by JBL with stereo pairing.

The lamp comes with 210 high-density LED lamp beads and a compact 2.5-inch 500 cc full-range speaker from JBL. The speaker allows for good sound quality from such a small device. Govee said you can synchronize two such lamps for a more immersive stereo experience.

The lamp also comes with more than 100 preset lighting scenes and users with the Govee app can make hundreds more including setting moods or entertainment scenes. But honestly, there are so many scenes built in that you don’t really need to do that, which is a plus as I absolutely hate downloading new apps that I only use occasionally.

There are 16 music-light modes that use the speaker and lights to synchronize different moods including the lava lamp.

Sturdy and loud

I really liked the fact that the sound is loud. The speaker booms, making it great for outdoor events. But like many such devices, the louder you get the more the quality seems to be sacrificed.

Additionally, I like that it’s sturdy. The base is not wobbly or cheap. It seems like you could drop it, and it would keep on ticking. Those with kids will be thankful for this.

Conclusion

If you want a modern lava lamp, the Govee Table Lamp Pro 2 will do the trick.

Though it lacks the nostalgia and the warmth of the old devices, it does work as a novelty item. It also works if you want to mix sounds with mood lighting.

But this isn’t going to replace the traditional lamp. The light emitted is not substantial enough to illuminate a room properly. And while I could see someone trying to use the sound feature to help drift off into dream land, I’m not sure the speaker is built for this; it is just too loud, and the quality is not good enough.

But it is great for parties and it would be a great novelty for friends just hanging out—especially those from Gen XThe ability to play music is also handy for these types of events and you can program the lamp to respond to what’s being played through Bluetooth, which is extremely handy.

What did you do on Black Friday? If you're like me, you drove home from Thanksgiving and avoided leaving the house due to the yearly sales armageddon. Instead, any and all shopping was done from my recliner with my tablet.

Perhaps one of the most intriguing gifts of the year is the e-scooter. Or electric hoverboard. Or mini Segway. Is there a consensus on what to call these things yet?

It's this...(video plays on YouTube)

That is perhaps the first advertisement for this product that appeared in China in 2014. Due to China's lax copyright and trade protection enforcement, these self-balancing scooters were rapidly copycatted and have spread to the States. A product that was selling in the U.S. for $600-plus just six months ago can now be purchased this holiday for less than $300.

Prepare to see these everywhere because they seem insanely fun. Pro football players are using them to save their legs precious steps. Celebrities have been posting them on social media for over a year (and big jerk Chris Brown is actually awesome on his).

Overall, the engineering behind these is rather simple. It starts with a two-component steel frame assembled with a short central axis; many scooters can accommodate loads up to 350 lb. Electric motors are integrated into the wheels of the scooter, as are tilt sensors. When the user begins to lean forward the tilt sensors send this input to a speed controller, gyroscope and PLC. The scooter accelerates to catch up with the user's center of gravity. Turning is controlled by pressure or infrared sensors that determine when the user has their feet tilted in opposite ways.

The device also contains a battery pack, typically a 36V 4400mAH, as well as all needed circuits and interfaces. Some balance scooters include a remote for on/off, locking and mode toggle. LED lighting and Bluetooth speakers are other options. A plastic case furnishes the finished look and protects internal components. These scooters top out around 6 mph, so basically the same speed of a brisk walk anyway. Terrain is undoubtedly the primary challenge for these scooters. They typically have 6.5 inch wheel diameters, so smooth or near-smooth surfaces are always needed. Some competing models, such as the FREEFOOT, has a top speed of 10 mph and 10 inch wheels, making it much more useful.

All signs point to balance scooters being a fad, but they're everywhere right now. And never has a fad enabled personal mobility on this scale (if you're an adult who wore Heely's, it's time to reevaluate some other things). Even if the balance scooter is a dead product in two or three years, it is providing a glimpse at how personal mobility is becoming mechanized and interconnected. Surely another company and product will build on this niche of wearable technology in years to come.

No matter what kind of Android device you use, it can be rooted. You will see how below. Many of you probably think that rooting a device running Android is a very difficult task. We beg to differ. With the right method, even newbies can do this.

Especially since there's Unlock-Root to use. The latter is used in a method known as one-click root. Thanks to it, your Android tablet or handset will be rooted in no time at all.

Unrooting Your Device

But rooting your device has a drawback: the warranty that comes with it is going to become void. Thankfully, there is a method you could use to retrieve it; it consists in unrooting your phone or tablet.

Another method you can use to restore the lost warranty is this: update the device to official firmware. If that doesn't work, reboot the flash counter or restore the old ROM.

If you wonder what good will it do if your Android device is rooted, here's our answer: your handset or tablet will enjoy options to have its battery last more, you will get to flash root-only apps, install custom ROMs, personalize your device, underclock the CPU and much more. On the whole, you will notice a definite improvement of your device's performance.

Requirements for Rooting an Android Device

The rooting of your Android phone or tablet has a few requirements:

• Your handset or tablet must run Android OS
• You need to make a backup of the data on your device
• Charge the battery if it shows signs of being weak
• Use a laptop that uses Windows
• Turn on USB Debugging on your gadget
• Go to your computer and tablet/smartphone to make sure that their security software is disabled

Important Instructions

When you're done with the previous tasks, you should now concentrate on our rooting steps:

1. The first of them asks you to download this on your notebook: Unlock-Root (the file is available on this page). This tool is available in these two versions: a free of charge one and a premium variant. It's always recommended to install the free one, because if you flash the premium one you may not like it (or it may work unsuccessfully on your device) and your money won't come back.
2. After the Unlock-Root is installed, you have to do this: flash the file on the notebook and then execute it.
3. Next up: download, on your laptop, the exact drivers which work on your device. After they're flashed on your laptop, you need to connect the gadget to notebook and go to the Unlock-Root. When you're there, you should tap Root.
4. The display will then contain a list that will display all the Android devices which work with this tool. Look for the name of the device you own, then opt for it.
5. The procedure will then begin and, after the tool is installed on your device, you will see a message confirming the end of the flashing. You can now end the guide by unplugging the gadget from the laptop and restarting the former.

We have a comment section below. Use it if you encounter issues during today's tutorial.

I remember the days when cell phones didn't do anything but send and receive calls. Now calling seems to be more of a secondary function to the text messaging, internet surfing, picture-taking, day planning (the list goes on) abilities that the majority of phones possess today. And now the next phase of "smart" technology has made its way to the market - the smartwatch.

<-- The ancient cellular phone: simple and BIG - Via Hoketronics.net

The smartwatch - Via phonearena.com -->

A smartwatch is defined by its ability to do more than just keep time. The concept is seen in countless spy and action movies where the hero has high-tech wearable electronics (James Bond, Dick Tracy, Inspector Gadget anybody?). The history of the smartwatch dates back to the 1980s, when personal computers made their debut. Watches like Seiko's Data 2000 and D409 in 1983 were the first of their kind to incorporate data-entry functionality. The 1980s also spawned Casio's "computer watches," "calculator watches," and "game watches."

Dick Tracy admiring his awesome watch - Via fossforce.com -->

Fast forward twenty-five years and we enter the next phase of the smartwatch. With the development of the internet and the ability to manufacture much smaller computer parts, the imagined capabilities of smartwatch technology grew more ambitious. But unfortunately, the world just wasn't ready for these devices yet, as failures in the marketplace showed.

One of the most notable of these blunders was Microsoft's SPOT (Smart Personal Objects Technology) software, developed in 2004. It used FM radio waves to transmit content like news and weather to devices running the technology for $59/year. The few watch models that implemented SPOT were canned along with the software in 2008.

Other failures include phone watches such as LG's GD910 and Samsung's S9110 which came out in 2009. These devices were literally touchscreen phones on your wrist. Though they were functional, the idea of taking calls from your wrist just didn't appeal to most.

LG's GD910, a phone watch attempt - Via BusinessInsider.com

Nowadays, the "smart" in smartwatch (and smartphone, smart TV, etc.) has been largely redefined to specifically indicate online capability. And such is the case with this year's surge of smartwatches (including products from Samsung and Sony), which can be paired with compatible smartphones via Bluetooth to perform "useful" functions such as displaying updates, making calls, and taking photos. They also (like smartphones) come preloaded with a number of apps for added functionality.

Sony's SmartWatch 2 - Via PCMAG

To someone like me, today's smartwatches seem like non-essential overpriced luxury items for tech-toy lovers. Gizmo's like Nissan's Nismo make me even more biased. But relevancy and demand are for the market to decide, just as it was for the smartphone just a few years ago. I imagine the smartwatch will eventually become a part of daily life for many people alongside their smartphones.

I meanwhile will be looking at my low-tech digital watch and wondering where the time went, remembering the days when watches did nothing but tell time.

Initially I said I didn't want an e-reader or a tablet. Now I have both and love using them in certain situations. The e-reader's a great alternative to carrying several books when I travel; the tablet easily makes my work much more portable than a clunky laptop.

Most importantly, the tablet helps me stay connected. There are a number of apps that I use for work, connectivity, and productivity. Here are five:

1. Splashtop - This remote desktop app allows me to connect to my PCs from anywhere. The free version allows connection to any laptop on the same network or one that you can access via VPN. I connect to my work computer by VPN and connect to my home computer from home to access certain files or software.

2. Evernote - I use Evernote to write blog posts, create lists, and brainstorm. It's a great way to save information that can be accessed anywhere, either via the website or an app on a tablet or smart phone. This is an app that I use almost every day, especially when I'm working.

3. join.me - This service allows you to share your computer screen with others. A free, easy alternative to tools like WebEx, it's great for virtual meetings and conference calls. A picture's worth 1,000 words and being able to see what someone's explaining can really help with understanding complex points in a meeting.

4. Dragon Dictation - If you're not the best typist, this app is a great one for converting speech to text. (It's also good for those who like to hear themselves talk!) I've tested it a few times and it understands me quite well; the opposite of the trouble I have with most automated phone systems!

5. HootSuite - Another tool that's available as a web-based application, HootSuite is a social media management tool. I schedule tweets for @CR4_News, respond to messages, and keep an eye on the social media conversation. It's compatible with major social networks like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Apps I don't like? For some reason I can't get the hang of the LinkedIn app. I prefer the experience of using that social network in a web browser. Same goes for Google Reader. I've tried Feedly but I really prefer using the original Google Reader to catch up on my favorite RSS feeds.

How about you? What are your favorite apps? Any that you wish existed?